Base-ball-throwing machine.



L. H. LAN-IER.

BASE BALL THROWING MACHINE.

APPLICATIQN FILED Aue.28. 1915.

Patented June 13, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

@www/MAM ATTnRND/s.

L. H.' LANIEH.

BASE BALL THROWING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED Aue.28. 1915.

1 ,1 87,434. Patented June 13, 1916.

Z SHEETS-SHEET 2.

ATTDRNEYS THB coLU/vmm PLANOQRAPH co.. wlcsmNcrroN, D. c.

pn srars PAN FFE@ i.

LEWIS H. LANIEB, 0F NEPOBT, KENTUCKY, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-THIRD TO THMAS 3'.

LEEN AND ONE-THIRD T0 CHARLES KESTER, BOTH VOF'CII:NCIlNlN'AlI, OHIO.

BAS-E-BALL-THROWING' MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 13, 1916.

Application filed August 2S, 1915. Serial No. 47,761.

To all whom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, Lnwrs H. LANIER, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of Newport, in the county of Campbell and State of Kentucky have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Base-Ball-Throwing Machines, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification.

My inventionr relates to baseball throwing machines. In machines of this character, the desired object is to throw a ball at a desired speed, and with as much accuracy as if it were pitched by hand.

In an application for patent formerly tiled by me on March 24:, 1915, Serial No. 16,797, I described a mechanism for throwing a ball comprising a resilient arm, spring-actuated against a curved abutment. The arm and abutment were alike pivoted on a post so as to be swung at the desired angle for delivering the ball to a given point, and the said parts were also pivoted so as to swing upwardly or downwardly so as to throw the ball at the given elevation.

It is the object of this invention to provide modifications of said former device, whereby more security against breakage of parts is gained, whereby provision is made against irregularities of the ball cover resulting in undue curving of the ball in its flight, and whereby means will bek had sov that a batter may tell that the ball is being thrown, said means comprising preferably a manikin, actuated by the throwing arm.

It is also the object to provide mechanism for pulling back the arm foreach throw.'

These objects and other advantages in construction and the like are accomplished by that certain construction, and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter more specifically pointed out and claimed.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a top plan view of the machine. Fig. f2 is a side elevation of said machine. Fig. 3 is a front elevation Vof said machine. Fig. l is an end elevation thereof. Fig. 5 is a. longitudinal section of the throwing arm as improved by me. Fig. 6 is a vertical section of the ball holding cup taken on the lines 6, 6, of Fig. 3. F ig. 7 is a side elevation of the manikin.

As in my former invention, the whole device is mounted on a post 1, securely with a mounted on a suitable foundation. On this post, as formerly, is journaled at 2 a large horizontal shaft 3 which carries the parts for the throwing device. A hand wheel l on a bracket 5 on the post operates a worm that meshes with a gear 6 on the shaft journal, whereby the shaft may be adjusted to the desired angle with regard to the objective of throw.

A bracket 7 on the journal 2 supports hand wheel 8 having a worm that meshes gear 9 mounted on the shaft, and by means of this mechanism the shaft may be rocked to adjust the machine for height of throw, all as in my former machine, except that in this instance the hand wheel is above instead of below the worm with which it is connected.

As in my former machine, the curved abutment 10 is fixedly mounted on the shaft 3 so that it is adjustable with the movement of the shaft. rl`he means for operating the arm is also the same, comprising a segment gear 11, pivoted at 12 to a base 13 mounted on the horizontal shaft, said segment gear having an extended portion 11i against which the end 15 of the arm is mounted. This gear meshes asin my former case with another like gear 16, likewise pivoted to the base 13, at 17, said gear having an extending portion 18 that is pivotally connected to a double spring actuator 19. The spring actuator is mounted at its other end to arm 2O on the horizontal shaft, and the point of connection of the actuator and the portion 18 of the gear is adjustable in a series of apertures 21, all as in my former application. The arm releasing mechanism is also the same,V comprising the spring plunger 22, controlled by the handle 23, said plunger arranged to rise into the lirst exposed tooth in the gear- 11 as this gear is retracted in bringing back the arm for a throw. rlhe teeth of this gear are covered at the bottom against access of this plunger by a plate 24' which is adjustable so as to regulate tension of the spring actuator, by regulating the distance which the arm can be brought back.

One of the new improvements in this invention comprises the means for drawing backV the arm, said means likewise to be mounted on the horizontal shaft so that it can be operated at any position of the shaft.

Mounted in a housing 25 on kan arm 26 mounted on the horizontal shaft by the collar 27, is a sliding bar 28. This bar has rack teeth on its under side and at the operating side of the machine is arranged to pass under a guide arm '29 which is mounted on the shaft by a collar 30. 31 is mounted together with the'base 13 on the shaft l3 and on this is rotatably mounted a'gear'32 that lies under andV in mesh ing the gear 32, the rack har will be retract ed and will swing the gear 16'on its pivot Vat 17, thereby drawing back the arm until the plunger engages the gear 11 as stated'. When this has taken place, a slight movement of the handle will suffice to disengage the hook from the pin and the arm will be Vready to be released fora throw, bylower-V ing the plunger by means of the handle 23.

It is obvious that this mechanism will draw back the armin position for use, no mattery what the position of the horizontal shaft may be., as it isfmounted on the shaft in lixed relation to the other throwing partsV and to the shaft, Vand when the shaft is moved all the parts will be moved simultaneously and to the same degree.

It has been found that the throwing arm, throughout the portion thereof which is bent over the curved abutment at' the end of the throwing movement, after some time is liable to be injured yand finally to break.

This is due to the constant jar at the mo-y ment of snapping the ball away.;k and the breakage comes alongy the body of the arm and also at the pointwhere the ball holding means; are secured tothe arm, the securing bolts vtherefor being liable to pull out and split* up the end of the arm. Accordingly the new arm is formed as follows: The endv portion 15 of the arm isnarrowedat 37a and extended at 38 to form the flexibleportion of the arm. This portion has laid along it and suitably riveted (not shown) on both sides the metal strips 39, 39. These strips have laid on top of lthem andbounddown by wrapping with adhesive vtapev 40, the outer Apieces of'hickory wood 41, 41: rlhe cup 42 is provided with holes -in its base 43 for securing-bolts 44.y It isto be mountedV on the end of the arm, and as stated, if theV bolts had topass through wood 'alone,.they would gradually pull out by splitting up the end of the arm. The metal pieces, as well as givinggreater tensile strength to the arm, prevent this splitting also.' For this purpose, the two strips are bent out Vover the ends 'of the outer layers ofhickory A hanger v and back so as to reinforce them on the outside.- Holes are pierced in the metal and in the wood for the securing bolts of the cup, and the bolts are passed through the reinforcedend of the arm, thereby firmly and permanently holding the cup in place, against the severe strain to which it is subjected. The outer pieces of hickory are thin, and it is desired to, have them slide on the inner portions of the arm. The Vadhesive tape so holds the outer strips that they may dothis, and the inner strip will slide one way and the outer strip the other each time'the throwing arm is brought up against the curved abutment. The arm has suiiicient spring in it to snap the ball outY of the cup at the end of the throw, and it isy fully protected against breaking by the superimposed strips of hickory and metal.V

The cup is partly the sameV and partly improved over the cup in my former application. The ideaof the former cup was to provide curved 4members to contact with the halland' a spring memberto hold it loosely therein until the snap at the end ofV the throw. In the present cup, theV base is hollowed out so as to present a concave curvature at 45. The hallr 46 when inthe cup rests inthis curvature, which is justthe size of the standard regulation ball. The cup has its outer end slopedr away from the vertical at 47, so that the ball may restv against said curvature at the three sides thereof,Y

and the yfourth sideis engaged by a spring Vretaining device. 'This device comprisesv ai piece of bent spring metal 48 in the shape of a numeral 2, in the upper member of whichisslidablv mounted a spring finger 49. This'ingerhas a smooth rounded end which contacts with the ball, and the spring 50Vthereof is not to be very strong, as it should not hold a ball that'is slightly out of( shape or having roughened seams any more.

firmly than a newfball. Any'eXtra pull on vthe ball, as it is releasedwill result in a curving of the ball in its iight, which will result in an inaccurate pitch of the ball.

lt is desired in addition tohave means` for indicating Ato a batter practising with this ball thrower when vthe ball is being thrown. If the batter cannot'see the throwing member, he is notable to tell justVv when the ball is coming and the machinewould not be of suflicient value as a practising machine forbatters. In view of the fact that the throwing arm has a rapid movement Vmainly concealed from vthe batter, it is dej signedto warnthe batter. by providing a manikin vwhich will lmove contemporaneously with the throwing arm, raising its arm and kswinging it as if to throw a ball.

A manikin, having a body 50, pivoted on a post 51, is erected in front of the machine, with one leg 52secured alongy the post. A spring 53, connected to the body and to the throw of the ball.

ground, serves to hold the body in a position normally facing the batter. The right arm 54 of the body is fixed and the body is connected by a. rod 55 with the throwing arm at 56. The left arm 57 and the lett leg 58 are connected by cords 59 and 60 with the ground so that as the manikin swings away from the front, the left arm will be raised up and the left leg pulled up at the knee, so as to swing forwardly (dotted lines, Fig. 7). When the arm is pulled back, the manikin will draw back his right arm and double up as a pitcher of a ball would do. As the arm is released, the rod and spring on the manikin will draw it forward together with the throwing arm, and when the ball is released from the arm, and the manikin will have completed the movements of his mock This will duplicate eX- actly the movements of a pitcher and will make the machine valuable as a practice machine as well as make it valuable as a side show device, where the public ma bat at balls in a fair booth and the like. The rod 55 forms an accurate stop for the manikin.

"It is believed that the operation and object of the various new devices of this mechanism are now apparent and that the mention of equivalent structures which will not depart from the spirit of the invention is unnecessary. It is not desired that the claims be construed to mean speciiic structure, where such is not plainly called for therein. y

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

l. In a baseball throwing device, a standard, a horizontal member pivotally mounted on the standard, a throwing arm on the horizontal member, an abutment for the arm on said member extending parallel to said member,` and means for drawing back the arm for throwing, said means also mounted on the horizontal member.

2. In a baseball throwing device, a standard, a horizontal member pivotally mounted on the standard, a throwing arm on the horizontal member, an abutment for the arm on said member extending parallel to said member, means for drawing back the arm 'for throwing, said means also mounted on the horizontal member, means for rocking said member, and means for adjusting the position of said member around the standard, for the purpose described.

3. In a baseball throwing machine, in com-r bination with a throwing arm, a cup on said arm for the ball, curved contact members in the cup for the ball, and a spring linger located below the outer edge of the lcup for loosely holding the ball'in the cup.

4. In a baseball throwing machine, in combination with a throwing arm, a cup on said arm for the ball, curved contact members in the cup for the ball, and a spring inger arranged to contact with the side of the ball slightly above its median line when located in the cup, for loosely holding the ball in the cup.

5. In a baseball throwing machine, a throwing arm, toothed segments connected to said arm, a spring actuator connected to the segments, and a rack connected to one of the segments for actuating it to draw back the arm and means for disengaging the connection between the rack and the segments when the ball is to be thrown.

6. In a baseball throwing machine, a throwing arm, toothed segments connected to said arm for operating the same, a spring actuator connected to one of the segments,

and a reciprocating member, having means to engage said one segment to move it against the spring tension and to draw back the arm and means for disconnecting said engaging means when the ball is to be thrown.

7. In a baseball throwing machine, a throwing arm, toothed segments connected to the arm for operating the same, a spring actuator, a pivot bolt for connecting it to one of the segments, a reciprocatingV member, and means on the reciprocating member to detachably engagethe pivot bolt, as and for the purpose described.

8. In a device of the character described, a throwing arm, means on the end of the arm for holding a ball, said arm comprising a plurality ot strips of tough and resilient wood, and strips of metal interposed between the wood, said metal strips bent back over the end of the wooden portion to form a mounting for the ball holding means.

9. In a device of the character described, throwing arm, means on the end of the arm for holding aball, said arm comprising a plurality of strips of tough and resilient wood, and strips of metal interposed between the wood, and means for loosely binding the outer wooden strips to the arm so that they have play to slide on the metal strips.

10. In a device of the character described, a throwing arm, means on the end of the arm for holding a. ball, said arm comprising a plurality of strips of tough and resilient wood, and strips of metal interposed between the wood, and means for loosely binding the outer wooden strips to the arm so that they have play to slide on the metal strips, comprising binding tape wound around the outside of the arm.

l1. In a. device of the character described, a throwing arm, means on the end of the arm for holding a ball, said arm comprising a plurality of strips of tough and resilient wood, and strips of metal interposed between the wood, and means for loosely binding the outer wooden strips to the arin so that they have play to slide on the metal strips, comprising binding tape wound around the outside of the arm, said metal.

strips bent over the end of the wooden yportions to form a mounting for the ball holding means. v

12. ln a baseball throwing,` machine, mechanism for throwing,` a ball, and a manii0V kin connected to the throwing .mechanism Sonics of this patent may be obtained forvve of said manikin.

LEWIS H. LANIER.

cents each, by 'addressing the Commissioner of Patents` 

